Healthy Eats

Healthy restaurant eating can be difficult in the best of situations. Here in St. John's, where a typical dining experience used to mean everything fried and at least one type of meat on your plate, alternative options for the non-traditionalist and health-conscience people are finally blossoming all over the place.

The leader of the pack is downtown's The Sprout on Duckworth St. The former Classic Cafe location has been retrofitted with tofu, chickpeas and a chill atmosphere. The focus at The Sprout is on good food, organic products and they even serve fair trade coffee (all at reasonable prices). This restaurant is a favorite of the hipster downtown set and is becoming a regular eating spot for regular folk, too...even meat eaters rave about the famous pad thai with tofu. The chickpea burger is tasty and comes with a salad that was actually made with a colourful variety of veggies (not just a bunch of lettuce and some cherry tomatoes). The chickpea curry is delish with coconut milk and broccoli, and they even have mushroom miso gravy which totally makes their veggie poutine dish quite yummy. Tip: skip the pricey pop or Perrier and order a local beer (it's actually cheaper). And if you're a vegan you'll go ga ga for The Sprout's dairy-free chocolate brownies ... you can even order some for take out and much while you stroll downtown.

Now that I have that raving review out of my system I will admit there are other places to get decent and healthy food around this place. Downtown there is Aunti Crae's where you can get a made-on-the-spot sandwich, fresh-made bread, and a piece of fresh fruit to go. Booster Juice in Atlantic Place (also on Topsail Rd., at MUN's food court, and in Mount Pearl) is extremely pricey (how do students afford this?) but jam-packed with fruit and other good stuff. If you can afford it try the pesto chicken wrap. Hava Java on Water is a staple for downtowners who love their coffee but they also serve a few mean sandwichs at lunch and a variety of fresh-squeezed juices. Pi on King's Rd. has fresh produce and quality ingredients to make up their salads and gourmet pizzas. Finally there's Hungry Heart Cafe on Military Rd. (Rawlins Cross) which serves homemade, nutritious food for a good cause. The Hungry Heart, a project with Stella Burry Community Services, offers employment training and opportunities and all money earned though the cafe goes back into its operations and community services.

Another socially healthy, as well as nutritious, places to eat is The Pantry (Clinch Cres., near Health Sciences Centre) which is operated by the Autism Society of Newfoundland and Labrador. Try the citrus, beet and goat cheese salad, yum.

Finally, one more healthy food choice recommendation out of the downtown core: the Tea Room at the Garden, formerly Bloomin' Teapot. Opened in 1995 and located on Mt. Scio Rd. at Memorial's Botanical Gardens, this cafe serves a variety of teas, sandwiches, salads, soups and homemade desserts in a lovely setting.

And remember, you can always order a salad instead of fries, no-meat options and take a nice long walk after dinner.